When this writer says 'hats off to you,' he really means it

What is with some Indiana (other states, too) men (note I did not say "gentlemen"), who insist on wearing their hats indoors?

Is this some sort of macho thing? Lack of upbringing? Arrogance? Ignorance? Stupidity? Premature baldness?

What is particularly annoying is dining in a nice restaurant and seeing grown men wearing their hats indoors. Are they afraid someone is going to steal their favorite baseball cap or camouflage hunting hat?

This is my pet peeve, next to drivers who refuse to turn on their headlights at dusk and during low visibility conditions. (Isn't there a law about that?)

Walter GordonRochester

Joan Eash

The holiday season is a busy time for many of us, so some readers may have missed the recent passing of a particularly special member of our local community. I was pleased to see mention of this individual in May Lee Johnson's "Tales from the West Side" column (Dec. 21).

Joan Eash, former executive director of St. Vincent de Paul Society, died just before Christmas and this news certainly made me sad. To say Eash was a tireless worker for the most vulnerable members of our community is a huge understatement. She was, literally, the face of Christmas to thousands of people in South Bend over the years she managed services at St. Vincent's, but she was also a year-round source of support for many families. In my previous work in social services, I had many occasions to call her on behalf of a family or individual, and I cannot remember a time she was unable to help me or refer me to another appropriate agency.

Advertisement

Personally, I was fortunate in getting to know Joan better when we both used to walk the pool at Pro Health years ago, and she was quite the center of social activity there.

Joan Eash will be greatly missed by many, many members of the South Bend community.

Susan SearightSouth Bend

Mailboxes

What is happening to our neighborhood mailboxes?

During the Christmas season I went to mail cards and the mailbox in front of National Bank on Ireland Road was gone. I went to the Monroe School on Fellows Street to mail the cards; no mailbox!

I went to the post office on Main Street, with cars coming and going, and could not get out of the car to put mail in outdoor mailbox.

There are some of us who no longer drive. It's nice to walk two or three blocks to the mailbox.

The postmaster sends out fliers when rates go up. Why doesn't he let us know when mailboxes in neighborhoods are being taken out?

Put back our mailboxes; we need them.

Bojana MilovichSouth Bend

Hate

While on my last visit to South Bend, I was very disappointed to find the "photographer's favorite" in the Dec. 26 Tribune. What I found was hate. I saw a photo of a group of people so filled with hate that they were driven to publicly demand that our president resign, disgracing him with all sorts of accusations (none that can be validated).

I can't help but wonder if they were out publicly demanding the same thing from President Clinton, who did violate federal law, who did lie to the American people, and who did violate his marriage vows while abusing the power entrusted to him (an act that is cause for termination and civil penalties for the rest of us).

Instead, the people shown in the photo gave false witness against a good and God-fearing man who has proven his commitment to the protection of our families, including those in that photo.

May God bless our president and our troops for all that they must endure to keep our children safe and our future free.

Patrick Carroll Sr.Suamico, Wis.

Forgive him

The election is over and the fair-minded voters from each party have spoken. A lot of good and decent Republican senators and congressmen lost their jobs because of this arrogant and reckless president.

Maybe Dorothy Elkins should review the moral reasons for why the voters have had enough. The fanatical religious right have taken over our government, even though some of our most prominent evangelists have turned out to be leading secret and immoral lives. Not to mention the pedophile in their midst who was known and protected within his party. What moral hypocrites!

Add to that this senseless war and all the precious and brave sons, daughters, husbands and wives who have been killed and maimed in vain. Is it any wonder the voters have risen up to vote in a majority to try to keep Bush from causing more damage?

As for Elkins, she should stop spewing hate and venom and change her mantra from "God bless President Bush" to "God forgive President Bush."

Marjorie DunfeeMishawaka

Crown jewel

The St. Joseph County Parks Department recently acquired more land to expand St. Patrick's County Park. While this acquisition is surely needed due to the northern and eastern part of the county having immense population growth and development, a sister park, Bendix Woods County Park, needs to be expanded also.